Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Leaked Tapes Prompt Calls for Turkish PM to Resign

Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses MPs in Ankara.
THE GUARDIAN: Recordings appear to capture Recep Tayyip Erdogan instructing son to dispose of hidden funds amid corruption investigation

Turkish opposition parties called on the prime minister to resign on Tuesday as a result of an explosive corruption scandal in which he was allegedly caught on tape ordering his son to get rid of millions of dollars in incriminating cash.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded in characteristically robust form, dismissing the allegations against him as a plot to bring down his government – the latest in a wave of accusations fuelling widespread popular protest against his 11-year rule.

Recordings of phone-tapped conversations leaked on the internet appear to capture Erdogan instructing his 33-year-old son, Bilal, to dispose of large amounts of hidden funds from their private home in the midst of a corruption investigation. » | Constanze Letsch in Istanbul | Tuesday, February 25, 2014